What Is an Egress Map?

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What Is an Egress Map? | Definition, Requirements & Generator

DEFINITION

An egress map is a visual diagram showing all means of egress — the continuous, unobstructed paths of travel from any occupied point in a building to a public way outside — including exit access corridors, exits, and exit discharge areas, as defined by OSHA 29 CFR 1910.36 and IBC Chapter 10.

Understand egress maps, how they differ from evacuation maps, and what the IBC and OSHA require. Then generate your own compliant egress map with our AI-powered tool in 30 seconds — free.

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✓IBC Chapter 10

✓OSHA 29 CFR 1910.36/37

✓NFPA 101 Life Safety

✓ADA Accessible Routes

The Three Components of Means of Egress

Understanding what makes up an egress route per IBC Chapter 10

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Exit Access

The portion of the egress system that leads from any occupied area to an exit. Includes corridors, aisles, ramps, doorways, and open floor space within the building.

CorridorsAislesRampsDoorways

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Exit

The protected portion of the egress path that provides a safe route from the building interior to the exit discharge. This includes enclosed stairwells, exit passageways, and exterior exit doors.

StairwellsExit DoorsPassagewaysHorizontal Exits

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Exit Discharge

The path from the exit to a public way — the final segment of the egress system. Includes exterior walkways, courtyards, and paths leading to the street or assembly area.

WalkwaysCourtyardsSidewalksAssembly Areas

Egress Map vs. Evacuation Map

Understanding the key differences and when you need each

Feature	Egress Map	Evacuation Map
Primary Focus	Means of egress routes (exit access, exit, discharge)	Complete emergency evacuation guidance
Code Basis	IBC Chapter 10, OSHA 1910.36/37	OSHA 1910.38, NFPA 101, local fire codes
Exit Routes	✓ Detailed with width & distance	✓ Simplified for quick reference
Fire Equipment	◐ Sometimes included	✓ Always included
"YOU ARE HERE" Marker	◐ Optional	✓ Required
Assembly Points	◐ Sometimes shown	✓ Always shown
Travel Distance Calcs	✓ Code compliance focus	✗ Not typically shown
Egress Width Data	✓ Corridor/door widths	✗ Not typically shown
Typical Audience	Architects, code officials, safety engineers	Building occupants, employees, guests
Posted in Building?	Used for compliance review	✓ Posted at key locations

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In Practice: Most buildings need both types. Egress maps are used during design, code review, and fire marshal inspections, while evacuation maps are posted throughout the building for occupant safety. Our AI generator creates maps that satisfy both purposes.

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Why Use Our Egress Map Generator

AI-powered egress mapping that meets IBC and OSHA requirements

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All Means of Egress

Automatically identifies and maps exit access corridors, exits, exit passageways, enclosed stairwells, and exit discharge paths per IBC Chapter 10 definitions.

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Travel Distance Compliance

Our AI verifies egress travel distances against IBC maximums — 200 ft unsprinklered, 250 ft sprinklered — and flags potential code violations.

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Fire Equipment Mapping

Places fire extinguishers, pull stations, alarm panels, and sprinkler connections along egress routes per NFPA 10 and NFPA 72 spacing standards.

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ADA-Accessible Egress

Identifies accessible means of egress, areas of rescue assistance, and evacuation chair locations for occupants with mobility impairments.

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"YOU ARE HERE" Markers

Oriented egress maps with clear location indicators so building occupants can quickly identify their position and nearest exit route.

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Multi-Floor Support

Create unique egress maps for every floor showing floor-specific layouts, stairwell access, and directions to ground-level exit discharge.

How to Create Your Egress Map

Four simple steps to IBC and OSHA-compliant egress maps

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Upload Floor Plan

Upload any floor plan — architectural drawings, CAD exports, PDF blueprints, or hand-drawn sketches of your building layout.

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Select Building Type

Choose your building type and state. Our AI applies IBC Chapter 10 egress requirements and state-specific fire codes automatically.

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AI Generates Egress Map

Our AI identifies all means of egress, marks exit access, exits, and discharge paths, and generates your compliant map in 30–60 seconds.

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Download & Post

Download print-ready PDFs and post at required locations throughout your building per OSHA and local fire code standards.

What Our Egress Maps Include

Every element needed for IBC and OSHA compliance

🚪 Egress Route Elements

Exit access corridors and aisles
Primary and secondary exit routes
Enclosed stairwell locations
Exit passageways and horizontal exits
Exit discharge paths to public way
Dead-end corridor identification
Common path of egress travel
Directional egress arrows

🔥 Fire Safety Equipment

Fire extinguisher locations with class
Manual fire alarm pull stations
Fire alarm control panel (FACP)
Sprinkler riser and valve locations
Fire department connection (FDC)
Emergency lighting locations
Exit signs and illuminated markers
AED and first aid kit placement

📋 Compliance Information

"YOU ARE HERE" location marker
Floor number and building wing ID
Assembly point locations
ADA-accessible egress routes
Areas of rescue assistance
Emergency contact numbers
Building address and orientation
NFPA 170 standard symbols legend

Egress Map Code Requirements

Our maps meet all federal, state, and local egress standards

IBC Chapter 10 — Means of Egress

International Building Code egress requirements:

Exit access, exit, and exit discharge definitions
Maximum travel distance to exits
Minimum corridor and door widths
Dead-end corridor limitations
Number of exits per occupant load
Exit separation distance requirements

OSHA 29 CFR 1910.36/37 — Exit Routes

OSHA exit route design and maintenance:

Exit route design and construction
Minimum 28-inch exit route width
Exit doors must open in direction of travel
Exit routes must be free of obstructions
Adequate lighting along exit routes
Exit signs at every required exit

NFPA 101 — Life Safety Code

Fire and life safety egress standards:

Occupancy-specific egress requirements
Means of egress illumination
Emergency lighting duration (90 min)
Exit marking and signage
Fire-rated egress enclosures
Accessible means of egress for ADA

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Professional Review Recommended: While our AI generates maps following IBC and OSHA egress standards, we recommend having your egress maps reviewed by a local fire marshal, code official, or certified fire protection engineer before posting.

Egress Maps by Building Type

Customized egress mapping for every type of facility

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Office Buildings

Multi-tenant egress maps showing corridor routes, stairwell access, lobby exits, and assembly points for commercial office spaces.

Office Egress Maps →

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Warehouses & Industrial

Large-format egress maps with travel distance verification, hazard zone marking, dock exit routes, and high-occupancy considerations.

Warehouse Egress Maps →

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Healthcare Facilities

Patient-safe egress maps with defend-in-place zones, smoke compartments, and accessible evacuation routes for hospitals and clinics.

Healthcare Egress Maps →

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Schools & Universities

Classroom-specific egress maps with age-appropriate routes, lockdown overlays, and assembly area designations for educational facilities.

School Egress Maps →

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Hotels & Hospitality

Guest room door egress maps showing floor layouts, stairwell exits, and emergency routes for unfamiliar building occupants.

Hotel Egress Maps →

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Retail & Restaurants

High-occupancy egress maps with wide aisle routes, kitchen exit paths, and customer-visible posting formats for public spaces.

Retail Egress Maps →

Also available for 50+ other industries including manufacturing, churches, gyms, data centers, and more.

The Complete Guide to Egress Maps

An egress map is one of the most fundamental safety documents for any building. Whether you manage an office, warehouse, hospital, or school, understanding what an egress map is and how it differs from an evacuation map is essential for compliance with OSHA 29 CFR 1910.36, the International Building Code (IBC), andNFPA 101 Life Safety Code. This guide covers everything you need to know about egress maps and how to create one for your facility.

What "Means of Egress" Really Means

The term "means of egress" is a building code concept defined by the IBC as a continuous and unobstructed path of vertical and horizontal travel from any occupied portion of a building to a public way. It consists of three distinct parts: the exit access (the path leading to an exit), the exit itself (a protected route like a stairwell or exterior door), and the exit discharge (the path from the exit to a public way). An egress map visually documents all three components for a given floor or building. Learn more on our egress maps page.

Why Egress Maps Matter for Safety

During an emergency, people unfamiliar with a building's layout have seconds to find the nearest exit. Egress maps provide critical wayfinding information that can save lives. OSHA requires employers with 10 or more employees to post evacuation route diagrams (which include egress information) under 29 CFR 1910.38. Fire marshals inspect posted maps during annual reviews, and missing or inaccurate egress maps can result in citations, fines, or even building closure orders. See our OSHA evacuation map requirements guide for complete details.

Egress Map vs. Evacuation Map: Which Do You Need?

While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, egress maps and evacuation maps serve different purposes. Egress maps focus on the physical exit system — routes, widths, distances, and code compliance. They are primarily used by architects, fire protection engineers, and code officials during design review and inspections. Evacuation maps are designed for building occupants and include egress routes plus fire equipment, "YOU ARE HERE" markers, assembly points, and emergency procedures. Most posted maps are evacuation maps that incorporate egress information. Our free evacuation map maker generates maps that satisfy both requirements.

OSHA Egress Requirements (29 CFR 1910.36 & 1910.37)

OSHA's exit route standards establish minimum requirements for egress design and maintenance. 29 CFR 1910.36 covers design and construction — exit routes must be permanent, continuous, and provide a path from any workplace location to an outside area. 29 CFR 1910.37 covers maintenance — routes must remain unobstructed, properly lit, and clearly marked with illuminated exit signs. Our AI automatically applies these standards when generating egress maps. Visit our OSHA 1910.37 exit route guide for in-depth coverage.

IBC Chapter 10 Egress Standards

The International Building Code dedicates an entire chapter to means of egress. Key requirements include occupant load calculations (which determine the number and width of exits), maximum travel distances to exits (200 ft unsprinklered, 250 ft sprinklered for most occupancies), dead-end corridor limits (20 ft unsprinklered, 50 ft sprinklered), minimum corridor width of 44 inches for most occupancies, and exit separation requirements based on building diagonal. Egress maps should document compliance with each of these standards. Check your state-specific requirements for local amendments.

How to Read an Egress Map

An effective egress map uses standardized symbols from NFPA 170 to indicate exits, fire equipment, and routes. Green arrows or lines show the recommended paths from the "YOU ARE HERE" marker to the nearest exits. Exit doors are highlighted, stairwells are marked with directional indicators showing which floors they access, and fire safety equipment is placed along routes. A legend explains all symbols used. The map should be oriented to match the viewer's perspective when posted on a wall. Learn more about proper map design on our evacuation map design guide.

Egress Map FAQ

Common questions about egress maps, requirements, and compliance

An egress map is a visual diagram of a building that shows all means of egress — the continuous, unobstructed paths of travel from any occupied point inside the building to a public way outside. Egress maps highlight exit access corridors, exit doors, exit discharge areas, stairwells, and emergency lighting along evacuation routes. They are required under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.36–37 and the International Building Code (IBC) Chapter 10.

What is the difference between an egress map and an evacuation map?

An egress map focuses specifically on the means of egress — the architectural exit system including exit access, the exit itself, and exit discharge as defined by IBC Chapter 10. An evacuation map is broader: it includes egress routes plus fire safety equipment locations, assembly points, 'YOU ARE HERE' markers, and emergency procedures. In practice, most posted evacuation maps incorporate egress information, but egress maps are often more technical and used for code compliance review.

What are the three components of means of egress?

The International Building Code defines three components of means of egress: (1) Exit Access — the portion of the egress system that leads to an exit, such as corridors, aisles, and doorways within the occupied space; (2) Exit — the protected portion of the path, such as enclosed stairwells, exit passageways, and exterior exit doors; and (3) Exit Discharge — the path from the exit to a public way, such as exterior walkways leading to the street or designated assembly area.

Who needs an egress map?

Every commercial building, workplace, and public facility needs egress maps. OSHA requires employers with 10 or more employees to have a written Emergency Action Plan with posted evacuation diagrams showing egress routes. The IBC, NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, and local fire codes also mandate visible egress/evacuation maps in offices, warehouses, hospitals, schools, hotels, restaurants, and retail stores.

What OSHA standards cover egress maps?

OSHA addresses egress requirements primarily in 29 CFR 1910.36 (Design and construction requirements for exit routes) and 29 CFR 1910.37 (Maintenance, safeguards, and operational features for exit routes). OSHA 29 CFR 1910.38 requires an Emergency Action Plan with evacuation procedures and route diagrams for workplaces with 10+ employees. Together, these standards define how egress routes must be identified, maintained, and communicated to employees.

How often should egress maps be updated?

Egress maps should be updated whenever there are changes to the building layout, exit routes, or fire safety equipment. This includes renovations, new construction, changes in occupancy, relocated exits or stairwells, and fire marshal inspection findings. OSHA and most fire codes require annual review of Emergency Action Plans, which includes verifying that posted egress maps remain accurate.

What should an egress map include?

A compliant egress map should include: all exit access corridors and aisles, exit doors clearly marked, enclosed stairwells and exit passageways, exit discharge paths to public ways, 'YOU ARE HERE' indicator oriented to the viewer, fire extinguisher and pull station locations, emergency lighting paths, assembly point locations, building address and floor number, and a legend explaining all symbols used.

Can I create an egress map myself or do I need a professional?

You can create egress maps using AI-powered tools like OSHAMap, which generates code-compliant maps from uploaded floor plans in seconds. However, OSHA and fire codes recommend having maps reviewed by a qualified safety professional, fire marshal, or licensed engineer before posting. Our AI applies IBC and OSHA egress standards automatically, making it easy to produce professional-quality maps that pass inspection.

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